Controlled Reflection

This piece is reflective of our outlook on nature and the need we have to control it. We usually don’t fully understand the importance of nature and what it does for us, so we often like to manage it in a way that provides for us “aesthetically” rather than something we need to survive. When we look at forests or overgrown yards, we often think about them as being “unkempt” or “unclean,” but in contrast to that, when we see golf courses or gardens, it's “beautiful.” The unkempt versions are nature's purest form, where species thrive and create life. The actual tree in my piece covered in mirrors reflects the aspects of nature that we hide, showing a fictitious and projected tree on top of it, hiding its beauty. The reflections are then reflected and projected on the industrial interiors of the building, showing that we constantly want to maintain a false reality of nature, hiding the truth that is being covered and reflected. This installation takes viewers to a place that is almost unreal as we are faced with the reality of this subject, feeling almost sorrow for the tree underneath, even though it's something we constantly upkeep.